Begging for Tips

[cruziJenn]

Totally agree. Some may want to settle up their accounts. Some may be questioning or disputing a charge. Some may be looking to lower or remove tips. Some may be there for another reason. Unless one can overhear what each guest says to the GS staff, there's no way of knowing, only guesses.

 

I'm usually no where near GS on the last night, so I wouldn't have a clue what the long line is about.

 

DH once had to go to GS to straighten out a declined card. It was declined because it was being used so far away from home. The GS person called the card company and then let DH speak to them and he got it cleared up. But the GS area was a little noisy and I could barely understand what DH was saying on the phone and I was standing right beside him, and the next person in line was waiting several feet away.......

[georgiacruizer]

I have never experienced them begging for money. They have, however, expressed how important the surveys are and that they hoped we could give them high marks as it means a lot to them. They can get bonuses, days off, and promotions amongst other things based upon positive surveys.

 

This was a common practice back when the evaluation forms were placed in the cabins on the last night of the cruise. We dreaded that last night in the MDR on every cruise line, not just Carnival. We knew the "talk" was coming after the dessert and coffee were served. The lead waiter would emphasize that "met expectations" was not good enough and we were flat out told cruise after cruise to mark every category "exceeded expectations" and that anything less could cost them their livelihood.

 

We're glad these strong arm tactics are a thing of the past.

Not so fast...

 

Our recent experience on the Glory last week was a merge of these two. The head waiter spoke with the 2 assistant waiters present. He stressed the importance of positive feedback on the surveys, and thanked us for pre-paying the gratuities as it is the bulk of their income. He mentioned their base pay is very low and they rely on the tip income (similar to what the OP mentioned but not outright begging). The survey was mentioned on a night earlier in the cruise as well.

[declansdad]

Not so fast...

 

Our recent experience on the Glory last week was a merge of these two. The head waiter spoke with the 2 assistant waiters present. He stressed the importance of positive feedback on the surveys, and thanked us for pre-paying the gratuities as it is the bulk of their income. He mentioned their base pay is very low and they rely on the tip income (similar to what the OP mentioned but not outright begging). The survey was mentioned on a night earlier in the cruise as well.

 

That is quite different than what the OP described and is certainly not begging for more.

[jimbo5544]

Totally agree. Some may want to settle up their accounts. Some may be questioning or disputing a charge. Some may be looking to lower or remove tips. Some may be there for another reason. Unless one can overhear what each guest says to the GS staff, there's no way of knowing, only guesses.

 

 

 

I'm usually no where near GS on the last night, so I wouldn't have a clue what the long line is about.

 

 

 

How many would it take to convince you?

 

 

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[xDisconnections]

Not so fast...

 

Our recent experience on the Glory last week was a merge of these two. The head waiter spoke with the 2 assistant waiters present. He stressed the importance of positive feedback on the surveys, and thanked us for pre-paying the gratuities as it is the bulk of their income. He mentioned their base pay is very low and they rely on the tip income (similar to what the OP mentioned but not outright begging). The survey was mentioned on a night earlier in the cruise as well.

 

That is quite different than what the OP described and is certainly not begging for more.

 

It's borderline and depending on the way this information is presented, it has the potential to be construed as so.

[DebJ14]

sounds like Russian mobsters to me.....

 

Actually the worst we have seen was on Oasis when he only mentioned it 4 times.... but strong armed might be a tad over the top.

 

We were on the Liberty of the Seas in May and no one ever mentioned giving good reviews on the form they send you after the cruise. In fact, the gist of one of the questions was if anyone on the ship had discussed you to give a good review, and if so what was their name/position? We were more than happy to give rave reviews after a wonderful cruise and we kept a list of names of people we wanted to compliment. If we had not received the online form, I would have written a letter because so many great employees went above and beyond.

 

I have to say we found it refreshing to not be hounded by wait staff and stewards into giving good reviews on the questionnaire they send. They don't have to worry about us though. I have NEVER received an online questionnaire since they did away with the paper forms on the ship. They have the e-mail address as they send emails about specials all the time.

[Trueblueky]

Lee was our last cruise director.

 

He begged for tens on the rating form in a humorous way: "Did you have a great time? Mark all tens. Did you have a lousy time? Well, you're not coming back anyhow, so mark all tens. I mean what does it matter if you're not coming back. "

[OCruisers]

Not so fast...

 

Our recent experience on the Glory last week was a merge of these two. The head waiter spoke with the 2 assistant waiters present. He stressed the importance of positive feedback on the surveys, and thanked us for pre-paying the gratuities as it is the bulk of their income. He mentioned their base pay is very low and they rely on the tip income (similar to what the OP mentioned but not outright begging). The survey was mentioned on a night earlier in the cruise as well.

 

The post survey is VERY important to them. Anything marked less than Excellent (even Very Good) is not good enough.

[LMaxwell]

*IF* it is considered gauche for cruisers to be interested in how cruise employees are paid, isn't it also gauche for the employees to have this sort of speech with the customers?

[NotThePest_Too]

After reading through this thread and than just remembering somethings I read in passing about customer service, maybe the checking off about good service is based on our human nature. We then to complain verbally to others about bad service more than we will tell others about good service. Someone out of rage will take the time to right a negative letter but how often will we sit down and compliment excellent service.

 

 

How often have you (including myself) tell someone you appreciate the effort they've put in for doing their job in excellence. We don't do that because we expect it. Entitlement? I don't know and I'm not saying that. I do know that I have to remind myself to give out compliments during my everyday walking through life. Sooo, to balance out negative reviews or complaints, we need to remind ourselves to give out compliments to family, friends, and those we meet in the market places.

 

 

Ramona

[jimbo5544]

*IF* it is considered gauche for cruisers to be interested in how cruise employees are paid, isn't it also gauche for the employees to have this sort of speech with the customers?

 

 

 

If it happened

 

 

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[sanmarcosman]

At least they no longer have all the announcements on the PA about midway through the tours reminding people to be sure to tip the maitre'd.

 

Hear! Hear! In his book Cruise Confidential the author Brian Bruns writes he spoke with customs agents who reported that a well known Carnival singing maitre d' passed through their post just before him. Mr. Bruns, a Carnival MDR waiter at the time, naturally asked how much money from tips the maitre d' declared he had in his suit case and was told $28k in CASH. That's presumably for a 6 month contract and after he spent some of his tips on board for expenses and wiring some funds home. Not a bad haul.

[mz-s]

Hear! Hear! In his book Cruise Confidential the author Brian Bruns writes he spoke with customs agents who reported that a well known Carnival singing maitre d' passed through their post just before him. Mr. Bruns, a Carnival MDR waiter at the time, naturally asked how much money from tips the maitre d' declared he had in his suit case and was told $28k in CASH. That's presumably for a 6 month contract and after he spent some of his tips on board for expenses and wiring some funds home. Not a bad haul.

 

Not a bad haul. I'm sure he earned every cent! Everyone I see on the ship works hard enough while they're onboard to earn a comfortable living.

[sanmarcosman]

Not a bad haul. I'm sure he earned every cent! Everyone I see on the ship works hard enough while they're onboard to earn a comfortable living.

Did you sail on cruise ships when those reminder announcements to tip your maitre d' were frequent on the PA system? That's what I was referring to to the member I quoted.

[1980dory]

Most people on here are very cheap. That’s why I tip big and often.

 

Thank you for your astute assessment of those others you don't know. And most importantly for telling everyone what a big and frequent tipper you are. Your humility is astounding.

[coevan]

Hear! Hear! In his book Cruise Confidential the author Brian Bruns writes he spoke with customs agents who reported that a well known Carnival singing maitre d' passed through their post just before him. Mr. Bruns, a Carnival MDR waiter at the time, naturally asked how much money from tips the maitre d' declared he had in his suit case and was told $28k in CASH. That's presumably for a 6 month contract and after he spent some of his tips on board for expenses and wiring some funds home. Not a bad haul.

 

 

another highly doubtful story, $1000 a week in tips to a Maitre'd, oh please. I have never given a maitre's one penny, never talked to him or her, and never did me any favors.

[LMaxwell]

If it happened

 

 

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I believe it happened. And not in a badgering way, but that it happened. I get survey speeches on cruises often

[sanmarcosman]

another highly doubtful story, $1000 a week in tips to a Maitre'd, oh please. I have never given a maitre's one penny, never talked to him or her, and never did me any favors.

This was before Carnival made the position a non-tipped one. What we're saying is the pressure was so intense and frequent to tip the maitre d' (which was the reason Carnival bowed to pressure from guests and increased the salary for that position ) that it sounded plausible to many who read the book. This individual did more than the usual stand at the door the final night with their hand out looking for their envelopes. This maitre d' sang several evenings during the week in the MDR and still does.

 

They play to a larger crowd than the typical restaurant or tavern there in Cripple Creek so there's that too.

[BlerkOne]

This was before Carnival made the position a non-tipped one. What we're saying is the pressure was so intense and frequent to tip the maitre d' (which was the reason Carnival bowed to pressure from guests and increased the salary for that position ) that it sounded plausible to many who read the book. This individual did more than the usual stand at the door the final night with their hand out looking for their envelopes. This maitre d' sang several evenings during the week in the MDR and still does.

 

They play to a larger crowd than the typical restaurant or tavern there in Cripple Creek so there's that too.

 

Next time you see Ken, ask him about that salary increase or if he doesn't still depend on tips.

 

As for Cruise Confidential, not sure how much I believe someone who depends on book sales and such for income. They would never embellish anything to influence sales, would they? :confused:

[jimbo5544]

I believe it happened. And not in a badgering way, but that it happened. I get survey speeches on cruises often

 

 

 

I believe she believes it happened. There is the old party game where someone whispers the same thing to 10 different people with 10 different results (as in interpretation). My advice to the OP stands.

 

 

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[opensaysme]

tips used to be a way of rewarding good service. Now it's to the point where everyone is expected to tip some arbitrary amount regardless of quality of service. And if anyone finds out you didn't, or even so much as thinks you didn't, you're ridiculed.

 

Op, you were more restrained that i would've been because i probably would've reported it. Our steward earlier this month mentioned giving him a good rating on the survey and that really rubbed me the wrong way. This was on the last day after i gave him an extra tip (beyond prepaid grats). Asking for a high rating on the survey right after handing him an additional tip made it seem like he didn't appreciate it.

 

Do you deserve a cookie because you think you compensate for everyone who doesn't tip as well as you claim?

 

They had no idea whether the op prepaid gratuities or not, which they say they did.

 

Gotta love tip threads. They always bring out the hotshots who think it's impressive to gloat about big tips.

 

That's uncalled for. You don't know the op, so why would you assume that of them right off the bat?

 

👍👍👍👏👏👏

[zorky12]

Carnival posted like 5.4 Billion with a B profit in 2017 despite hurricane damaged ports. They could pay their workers better. They work very hard.

 

 

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[Saint Greg]

Carnival posted like 5.4 Billion with a B profit in 2017 despite hurricane damaged ports. They could pay their workers better. They work very hard.

 

 

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How do they line up with other cruise lines when it comes to profits and employee pay?

[aimee0715]

This was before Carnival made the position a non-tipped one. What we're saying is the pressure was so intense and frequent to tip the maitre d' (which was the reason Carnival bowed to pressure from guests and increased the salary for that position ) that it sounded plausible to many who read the book. This individual did more than the usual stand at the door the final night with their hand out looking for their envelopes. This maitre d' sang several evenings during the week in the MDR and still does.

 

They play to a larger crowd than the typical restaurant or tavern there in Cripple Creek so there's that too.

 

This is one big difference we noticed on Carnival: tipping the Maitre d. We had never heard of that before on any other line--and usually don't even see the maitre d. But the encouragement to give him a tip was quite strong on our first few Carnival cruises--many announcements over the PA system in the dining room toward the end of the cruise. Then we went on Breeze (our 4th Carnival cruise) and no one said a word about it. I have always wondered why that was. I feel better knowing that it was changed to a non-tipped position and was probably a non-tipped position on other lines.

[meatloafsfan]

We were on the Liberty of the Seas in May and no one ever mentioned giving good reviews on the form they send you after the cruise. In fact, the gist of one of the questions was if anyone on the ship had discussed you to give a good review, and if so what was their name/position? We were more than happy to give rave reviews after a wonderful cruise and we kept a list of names of people we wanted to compliment. If we had not received the online form, I would have written a letter because so many great employees went above and beyond.

 

I have to say we found it refreshing to not be hounded by wait staff and stewards into giving good reviews on the questionnaire they send. They don't have to worry about us though. I have NEVER received an online questionnaire since they did away with the paper forms on the ship. They have the e-mail address as they send emails about specials all the time.

 

That was not our experience on the Adventure of the Seas in May - the last 2 nights, both our server and the head guy stressed to us about giving all 10s - our server even went so far as to say, "even if you didn't enjoy the food, you need to give it a 10 otherwise, it counts against me." He was a very good server and it's certainly not his fault that the food on Royal is subpar.

 

On the Pride in January, I don't recall our servers mentioning the survey at all.